In-house speaking

Inspire your team with an expert perspective on the future of the tech industry. Book me to give an in-house talk to earn valuable insight into what’s happening outside your office walls, and for advanced warning on the challenges facing tech companies in the years ahead.

Who am I?

I’m Cennydd Bowles, a London-based designer and tech ethics consultant. Over a sixteen-year career, I’ve written two popular books (Future Ethics and Undercover User Experience Design), led design at Twitter UK, and been fortunate enough to develop a reputation as a global leader in digital product and UX design. As an independent consultant, I’ve worked with clients including the BBC, Samsung, WWF, Cisco, and Ford.

My focus today is the ethics of emerging technology. I’ve been quoted on the topic in The Guardian, Ars Technica, The Daily Telegraph, Süddeutsche Zeitung, and Forbes; my new book Future Ethics has been called ‘One of the most important books a designer could ever read.’ I now consult with technology companies on ethical approaches to design and new product development, drawing on innovative techniques from speculative design, futurism, and contemporary practical ethics.

I’ve presented at a range of major tech companies and universities, and am a regular keynote speaker at tech and design conferences worldwide.

Current talks

Future Ethics

Technology was never neutral: its social, political, and ethical impacts have recently become painfully clear. The stakes are only going to get higher as connected cameras watch the city, algorithms take over society’s most important decisions, and transport, jobs, and even warfare become automated. The tech industry needs to earn the trust these technologies demand. Drawing on years of research for his new book Future Ethics, designer Cennydd Bowles will illuminate the moral challenges that lie ahead for technologists, and discuss how practitioners and companies can create more thoughtful, ethical products for future generations.

Building Better Worlds (from May/June 2019)

Digital dystopias loom large over the coming decade – mundane surveillance, hypernudging algorithms, autonomous weapons, widespread disemployment – all against the backdrop of political upheaval and escalating climate crisis. It’s easy to succumb to fatalism, to feel powerless in the face of a world tipping off its axis. But our trajectory is not yet locked in: we have millions of futures to choose from. We’ve talked enough about how the tech industry lost its way; now it’s time to make things better. Cennydd Bowles, author of Future Ethics, will reveal how tech workers and companies can mobilise for change, bringing ethics into the heart of their practice, and making technology more responsible, more just, and more democratic. Better worlds are possible, if we wish them.

Feedback on my talks

‘Well done, and THANK YOU very much for your time today. You broke Slack with quotes, commentary, questions and just general feedback. To summarize: “This presentation should be required viewing for every new designer at [company].” Kudos.’ –Design leader, in-house client.

Recorded talks

Logistics

I’m happy for the talk to be recorded for internal use. I strongly prefer to present off my own machine, connecting via HDMI or VGA. Alternative arrangements possible with sufficient notice and A/V support.

Talks are suitable for any audience size: I’ve presented to groups of over 1,000 and below 10. Talks tend to be most relevant to designers, product managers, and software engineers, but anyone working in the technology field should find them appropriate.